


bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark

by woojibear



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Chan's a writer, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, It's actually happy this time I swear, M/M, Me making every single one of my fic titles Lorde lyrics?, Woojin's just broke, it's more likely than you think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 23:51:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20218330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woojibear/pseuds/woojibear
Summary: A blush began to form across Woojin's body as the realisation hit him: people assumed Woojin was dating Chan. Kim Woojin, a dirt poor college student was seeing the Bang Chan. The prospect itself seemed entirely preposterous and Woojin couldn't help but let out a rather manic laugh as he mulled the situation over.





	bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark

Woojin sighed for the umpteenth time that night.

His cup of ramen noodles hadn't cooked properly on the stove and the noodles held a rubbery and listless taste to them. 'Another easy recipe successfully fucked up, congratulations Kim Woojin.' He padded over to the sofa, nursing the steaming cup of noodles, placed his feet up on the stained wooden table and turned the TV on.

As soon as the TV had turned on, Woojin's ears were bombarded with shrill shrieking, making him flinch rather heavily and drop the boiling contents all over his legs.

He immediately jumped up from the lumpy sofa and limped over to the kitchen, muttering furious curses to himself along the way. He shakily wiped the large surface of now burnt skin with a cloth before retrieving a frozen pack of out of date vegetables.

After much pain and struggle, Woojin managed to hoist himself onto the sofa and began to eat his now completely dry noodles. Looking up at the TV, his eyes caught sight of the cause of those horrifying shrieks and Woojin almost dropped his noodles again.

Almost.

The man on the TV was no other than Bang Chan.

Bang Chan was a grossly successful millionaire in Daejeon, his writing gaining him instant fame amongst the lonely and love deprived young girls that idolised his stories.

Woojin for one was never really keen on love stories.

The idea of writing about such intimate feelings whether they were based on real events or pure fiction didn't really make sense to him, why would you want to read about love when you could go out and experience it?

Bang Chan was clad in a dark black suit, paired with striking white Nike trainers as he explained in depth the creative process behind his stories.

As soon as Woojin had heard the words 'just flow to me,' he instantly knew that this guy had to be some sort of a liar. He was either a liar or just a really, really poetic person and Woojin couldn't really decide which was worse.

The interview continued for a further half an hour, Bang Chan himself now looking quite exhausted as the topic switched from the love lives of his protagonists to his very own love life.

It was evident that Bang Chan was uncomfortable with his love life, or lack thereof, being brought up in an interview but the interviewer seemed to pay no mind to this as her next question had Chan instantly stiffening in his chair.

"Now you're one of the most popular romance authors of our time, how on earth haven't you found yourself a woman of your own?"

Woojin visibly cringed at the blunt question, accidentally flexing his leg and wincing at the sudden bout of pain that coursed through his body.

The second-hand embarrassment from that question in addition to Chan's response was enough for Woojin to turn the TV off and hobble towards his bedroom.

* * *

The disguise was most certainly not cutting it for Chan.

Having been somewhat of a celebrity for a few years now, he was used to the mass amounts of fans awaiting him outside studio buildings, but not like this.

The crowds were never really this big, this suffocating, this terrifying.

Chan desperately clutched onto the black baseball hat sitting atop his unruly auburn hair as he tried to hurry through the streets and the ever-amassing group of people shouting his name.

Woojin had just wanted a bandage.

That was all he had left his dingy apartment for in the first place. He walked down the street as best he could with searing pain shooting up one side of his leg constantly, when he caught sight of a huge group of people.

It seemed as though the group of people were moving towards him, honestly, Woojin could only make out the hazy movements of figures as the blinding agony clouded his vision.

All of a sudden, a looming figure was grasping Woojin's sleeve and tugging him close to his body.

"Just pretend we're together please, just until they leave," a weirdly familiar voice hurriedly whispered in his ear as the man began to drag Woojin down the street.

Woojin squinted up at the man only to instantly recognise those eyes anywhere.

Bang Chan was holding his arm. His arm, Kim Woojin, a lowly man was being held by the Bang Chan.

Woojin stumbled over his feet as the pace they walked at began to increase, Chan's footsteps becoming irregular as he walked faster and faster down the road.

They soon came to an open cafe and Chan was quick to tug at Woojin's arm and swing them both inside.

"Hi I'm Chan.. look I'm sorry about that but they were following me, and there were so many y'know not like a few but so many and they were everywhere and-"

"I'm Woojin.. you're Bang Chan right?" Woojin asked, feigning nonchalance.

"Yeah, that'd be me," Chan responded, with a drawn-out sigh, his posture slightly stiffening.

"That's great but I need to go to the pharmacy because-"

"Wait! I'll come with.. if you want, of course, I don't mean to force myself it's just I can't go back out there and-"

"Let's go, come on," Woojin cut off, what was this guy's issue, could a man not buy bandages for noodle water burns in peace?

As soon as the two left the shop, a wandering group of fans walked past the pair unknowingly. Woojin looked down to their now intertwined hands and belatedly realised the reason for that.

The further along the road they got, the greater the number of fans that were searching avidly for Chan increased, quickening Chan's heart rate and causing him to clench Woojin's hand just a bit tighter.

Once Woojin had left the pharmacy, one hand holding a bag of bandages, another holding Chan's hand, he felt a slight smile begin to grace his lips.

"So, I'll see you around then?" Woojin said to Chan when the pair had reached Woojin's apartment complex, after much insisting from Chan since it was "Only right to drop off the saviour of my life", despite the walk to Woojin's apartment being less than a 5 minute one.

"Maybe I guess.. thanks for everything though, I owe you!" Chan declared, finally unlacing their now warm hands from one another, the loss of the warmth residing strangely within Chan.

The next day was meant to be a normal day for Woojin.

He'd just wrapped his bandages, his burn was looking as disgusting as ever, skin peeling and a large scar forming right on his thigh, when he decided to maybe check the letterbox that was overflowing with magazine subscriptions from his roommate to places he did _not_ want to think about.

The first magazine, however, was a tabloid and lo and behold, Woojin himself was on the front cover.

Woojin blinked a few times in pure shock, before vigorously scrubbing his eyes in the hopes that what he just saw was not him and Chan walking down the street holding hands as if their lives depended on it.

This was not real.

It had to be some sort of a joke, Woojin thought as he flipped through the magazine hastily, only to find an article titled: 'Romance author finally finds a lover of his own?'

His legs felt heavy and a slew of bile began to rise from his empty stomach as he read the article detailing the very 'intimate and comfortable way' that they both held each other.

One picture, in particular, showed Chan gazing back at Woojin as he dragged him along the street, his eyes crinkled in a soft grin as he gestured for Woojin to hurry up.

A blush began to form across Woojin's body as the realisation hit him: people assumed Woojin was dating Chan. Kim Woojin, a dirt poor college student was seeing the Bang Chan. The prospect itself seemed entirely preposterous and Woojin couldn't help but let out a rather manic laugh as he mulled the situation over.

The sudden shifts in emotion had Woojin feeling disorientated so he did the only thing he saw fit and simply drew the curtains and went to sleep, in the hopes that when he awoke, he'd only see half-naked girls in the mailbox and not his face on the front cover of a tabloid.

Of course, when Woojin awoke from his heavy slumber, it was to the sound of someone persistently knocking on his door.

With drool running down his mouth and atrocious bed hair, not to mention an unsightly purple scab on his leg, Woojin opened the door and closed his eyes to let out an open-mouthed yawn, only to reopen them and see two men clad in black suits looking slightly offended.

"Are you Kim Woojin?" The man asked, his expression morphing into disgust as he took in Woojin's scattered appearance.

"Uh y-yeah that's me," Woojin sheepishly replied as he tried to somewhat pat his hair down, the unruly strands refusing to cooperate, forcing him to drop his hands and let out an exasperated sigh.

The men continued to stare at him afterwards, glaring at him expectantly until Woojin recalled his basic manners and invited them in with an unsure "Wanna sit?"

The men made their way into the cramped space and grimaced when their suits came into contact with the lumpy grey sofa that was in no way worthy of such expensive clothes even coming near it.

They laid a briefcase on the table, after shifting an empty cup of ramen noodles out of the way with much more anger than was necessary, and glanced up at Woojin.

"I take it you've seen the news, Mr Kim," the first man spoke, his gaze shifted onto the paperwork in his hands, sorting through the different files on the withered table.

"Yeah, it was awkward.. I mean I told Chan I'd see him soon but not this soon, I mean-"

"Right, read over these and inform us of your decision by noon." The men quickly got up, brushed their suits off and began walking out of the door, just as quickly as they had come in.

Woojin, too caught up in the mass amount of paper, hadn't registered the sound of the door closing until he heard the sharp footsteps descend down the corridor.

He caught sight of the papers and reached for the pile, feeling extremely confused as to what they could possibly be. If Woojin was getting fined for holding hands with Chan he'd have no idea what to do, how would he find the money?

His nervousness peaked as he flipped over the booklet only to find an agreement titled: Relationship.

Woojin's brows furrowed, a relationship with who? He began to read the terms of the document, most of the words going straight over his head, he wasn't a Korean major for a reason clearly, when he glanced over the words 'dating contract.'

It stated that Woojin and whoever this 'client' was had to date for a fixed period, before the release of- _oh_.

The realisation dawned on Woojin alarmingly late but tightened his chest just as hard.

He would have to pretend to be Chan's boyfriend in order to increase his popularity before the release of his new novel, then end the relationship and 'leave fans believing Chan has a broken heart thus garnering sympathy and simultaneously new readers.'

The idea seemed absolutely ridiculous, Woojin thought as he flicked through the pages dismissively- pretending to be in love with someone for success? Couldn't Chan just do press like every other normal celebrity?

Woojin had just about set his mind in stone when, on the last page, a document titled: Payment Agreement caught his eye and sparked him to read further on.

Woojin's jaw fell completely open as he read over the sum of money, again and again, did this amount of money even exist in real life?

Now Woojin was by no means a man who could be bought off, but throw in some fancy dinners, a few new clothes and a huge income every month, and he was all yours.

Come noon, Woojin had made his decision and had signed the documents sealing the start of his 'relationship' with Chan.

The meeting afterwards was awkward, to say the least. Woojin had been picked up after his last lecture of the day, a lecture that he had seen fit to sleep in, in a sleek black Tesla with all tinted windows. Woojin couldn't help but softly laugh at the sight, was it that serious?

He drowsily opened the door, and nearly planted face first as soon as he stepped foot in the car, the only thing stopping that fateful event being Chan's arms making their way under Woojin's and hoisting him upright.

Woojin gave a smile of thanks at Chan and, without even bothering to put a seatbelt on, had completely fallen asleep, his head resting against the cold window, soft snores escaping his slightly ajar mouth.

When he woke, he was sitting in a boardroom, a group of men muttering in front of him when one of them noticed his consciousness and alerted the others.

The meeting that proceeded was the most excruciatingly boring one that Woojin had ever been in, if he could fall asleep for the third time that day, he most definitely would.

It was planned for him and Chan to go on a 'date' and to essentially make their mark as an official couple in a few days. Prior to this, Woojin's wardrobe was discussed at obscene lengths, his sense of 'fashion' being relentlessly mocked by those around him and the dire need of new clothes being an objective of much importance.

As Woojin was about to leave the meeting, he tugged at the sleeves of his tattered violet hoodie, feeling quite insecure about his clothing, a small frown beginning to etch his skin, when Chan approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, honestly it's fine, I think purple brings out your skin tone, it makes you look cute," Chan assured him, a bright grin plastered across his face as he shamelessly raked his eyes up and down Woojin's significantly smaller frame.

Woojin was left speechless, to say the least. He managed to squeak out a 'thanks' before scurrying out of the room and back to his apartment, where he sat on his bed and thought through his situation.

Chan and him were due to go on a 'date' in a few days, yet the closest thing Woojin owned to formal attire was a clip-on tie Minho had gotten him as a joke for his 19th birthday.

Woojin let out a sharp sigh of frustration, choosing to, yet again, sleep his problems away and decide to simply steal Minho's clothes.

Stealing Minho's clothes turned out to be one of the worst mistakes Woojin had ever made, second to deciding to become friends with the guy in the first place.

Woojin sucked in his breath for what felt like the thousandth time before trying to squeeze his legs into the thin pair of jeans. Once his legs were in, the feeling of such accomplishment overwhelmed Woojin and he began to dance around the room, completely forgetting the fact that they were only halfway up his legs and as a result, landing on his arms painfully.

Woojin pitifully stayed on the floor, trousers halfway up his legs until Minho decided to come home.

"Woojin, you know I don't swing that way-"

"Shut up and give me nice clothes," Woojin mumbled, his voice muffled into the carpet of Minho's bedroom.

After the most painful hour of his life, Woojin caught sight of himself in the mirror and felt his lips upturn at his reflection. Who knew that beneath the raggedy mess atop his head, was something surprisingly handsome?

Woojin made his way to the restaurant with newfound confidence, his strides more elongated and his feet almost bouncing with every step he took. Catching sight of Chan, Woojin was more than pleased at seeing the surprise evident in his upturned brows and slightly agape mouth.

"You look good.. you should put your hair up more y'know, it really suits you," Chan murmured as his hands went straight to Woojin's hair and began running his fingers through it, the pleasant sensation making Woojin's head tingle with warmth.

"Thanks, you too.. well not the hair thing obviously, well I'm not saying you'd be ugly with-"

"It's fine, come sit," Chan chuckled, a deep laugh reverberating against Woojin as he realised the proximity of their positions. Woojin fought hard to push his blush down as Chan took his chair out for him and tucked it in straight after he sat down. He hadn't fought hard enough if the way Chan was looking at him, soft eyes and mouth quirked upwards, was anything to go by.

Their date had gone surprisingly well considering how different the two were. When Chan had heard of Woojin's dreams of becoming a singer, he began to ramble on about the music he used to produce 'way back in the day,' and invited Woojin to song write with him one day as it was "Like writing a book but you sing it instead," the poor analogy making Woojin grin.

When the food had arrived, Woojin tried his best to not appear as awestruck as he was. His previous meals of store-bought ramen were no match to the succulent scallop sashimi that enveloped his tongue, setting it alight with such delicious flavours.

Woojin couldn't help the hum of appreciation that left his mouth as he ate bite after bite of the meal, Chan's gaze never leaving Woojin, his meal left untouched. When Woojin noticed Chan's eyes on him, he looked up at him, confusion in his wide eyes and food stored in his cheeks.

The sight made Chan softly laugh as he reached across the table and wiped at a piece of sauce around Woojin's mouth with his thumb, opting to then put it in his mouth and hum in agreement at how appetizing the food was.

Woojin chuckled nervously, and continued to eat his food, Chan's never straying gaze unbeknownst to him this time.

When they had both eaten, Woojin whining that Chan hadn't even eaten dessert properly, Chan had paid the bill and placed Woojin's jacket on his back for him, his soft breath tickling the back of Woojin's neck and forming goosebumps on the skin.

Chan walked Woojin back to their apartment, their hands interlaced and a comfortable silence settling between the two.

Upon reaching the complex, Chan held Woojin's chin with his thumb and forefinger and tilted his face upwards towards him, ever so gently and looked straight into Woojin's eyes.

"I'll see you in a few days, we have to go shopping for some clothes, we wouldn't want the press to see you in such small clothes now would we?" Chan muttered in Woojin's ear, his other hand resting on the small of Woojin's back.

"S-sure, that's fine," Woojin stuttered out, his body going on autopilot as he struggled to maintain eye contact with the fierce look being directed at him, instead choosing to stare intently at Chan's shoulder, making him smile and tilt Woojin's head towards him again.

"Goodnight Woojin, be safe," Chan uttered, before leaving a chaste kiss on Woojin's forehead, effectively setting Woojin's entire being ablaze and leaving him malfunctioning as Chan began to walk away from the building and into the pitch-black night.

That night, Woojin laid wide awake in his cold bed, his body still tingling from Chan's mild touches, his hand coming up to brush his forehead, the imprint of Chan's lips seeming to permanently grace his features.

When Chan returned home, a small smile on his face, he found himself falling into a peaceful slumber for the first time in years, dreaming of glistening skin and eyes that held endless stars within them.

The very next day, Woojin was awoken by Minho launching himself onto Woojin's bed and shaking his body so vigorously that Woojin swore he felt his entire skeletal system crack.

"How come you never said you were dating Bang Chan?!" Minho implored as he began bouncing up and down on the bed, his shaking never ceasing.

"Oh yeah, that.. yeah that just happened," Woojin groggily replied, not really having the heart to tell his best friend that his first relationship in years was a fake one just for publicity and money.

Minho shoved the magazine straight into Woojin's face, making him squint as he read out the words 'Bang Chan spotted during an intimate moment with his partner,' the image making his heart beat a little faster.

It showed Chan leaning against Woojin, muttering in his ear as he held his body, Woojin's gaze looking completely fixated on the man before him with wide eyes and a slight pout forming on his lips. Woojin pushed the article away and attempted to also push down the new forming butterflies grouping in his stomach.

The next few days saw many assumptions as to who the 'mystery man' in Chan's life could be, steadily gaining him much popularity and his upcoming book was more anticipated now that it was clear he had a person of his own in his life.

Woojin was texted some instructions from an unknown number to meet Chan in the mall at 10am sharp, the word sharp being in bold capital letters, how could you even make words bold over text in the first place?

Unsurprisingly, Woojin turned up at the mall at around 10:30am, to a bored looking Chan surrounded by a group of people asking for autographs. The men from earlier shook their heads in disapproval at Woojin, whether it was for his tardiness or horrific outfit however, he couldn't tell.

Chan's face lit up the moment he made eye contact with Woojin and began to excuse himself from the people he was sitting with, offering Woojin a kind smile, showcasing the dimples etched into his skin.

"Sorry I'm late.. there was traffic," Woojin sheepishly tried to say, his hand coming up to rub his neck, a nervous habit he'd picked up when he was blatantly lying.

"I'm sure there was Jinnie, strange though, I could've sworn there were road closures all morning," Chan teasingly replied, slightly nudging Woojin as he saw straight through Woojin's terrible attempt at lying.

Woojin however, was not focused at all on him being caught red-handed, but rather on the nickname Chan had called him.

Jinnie, he hadn't been called that since, well since forever.

A bashful smile made its way onto Woojin's face at the name and he was quick to retort with a small "Shut up" before grasping Chan's hand, almost like second nature, and leading them through the mall.

Chan was resolute on buying Woojin the whole store as whatever Woojin would look at for extended periods, would be put straight into their baskets, no questions asked.

It was at a high-end department store that Woojin had met his match. He scanned the rails of dress shirts, none really sparking his interest when he caught sight of Chan looking quite uninterested as well, as he idly flipped the hangers from side to side.

"How about you tell me what'd look good," Woojin turned to Chan, holding up a few printed shirts.

"Sure, let's see," Chan mumbled to himself as he began to look back and forth from Woojin to the clothes in front of him, his gaze staying on Woojin's figure for slightly longer each time.

After much thought, Chan sent Woojin into the changing room with a few suits and some silk half sleeve patterned shirts.

As soon as Woojin had come out, a meek look on his face as he looked up at Chan, Chan's eyes widened and he shifted slightly in his seat.

Woojin looked amazing.

The fabric of the suit accentuated his muscular thighs well, making them quite prominent and made his smooth skin stand out in contrast to the colour of the suit.

A silence ensued, Woojin starting to grow nervous as he held his finger and quietly said: "Is it fine?" Chan snapped out of his daze and was out of his seat in an instant.

"Of course, of course, you look great Jinnie," Chan hummed as he ran his hands up and down Woojin's arm and settled them at his waist.

Woojin noticed a camera through his peripheral vision as soon as Chan pulled him close to his chest and whispered: "Smile with your eyes closed it'll look cute."

Woojin blinked a few times and laid idle in Chan's arms when he felt a slight nudge as Chan muttered: "Wrap your arms around me, just for a second." So Woojin did exactly that and pulled away a few seconds later, an odd weight beginning to form in his throat.

Woojin suddenly felt vulnerable, knowing that only a few people away, an entire camera crew were capturing every single one of his emotions and he hurried back into the changing rooms, ignoring Chan's call of "Come back, there are more cameras."

He stared at himself in the mirror and felt uncomfortable in the suit that he had felt so confident in, knowing that Chan's compliments were fake didn't help much to quell the rising feeling of insecurity making its course through his mind.

Woojin stripped himself of the suit and was quick to put on his oversized hoodie and faded jeans, at least that way his body wasn't on show and Chan wouldn't feel obliged to pay him any false compliments in order to get a reaction out of him.

Chan's face slightly fell as he saw Woojin emerge from the changing room, a small but noticeable change in his demeanour as he walked over to the rails and put the various garments back on them, all while not looking at Chan once.

"You don't want anything..? Jinnie, you haven't even tried the rest of the clothes on," Chan spoke, confusion lacing his words.

"I've bought enough.. I'm kinda tired can I go home?" Woojin simply replied, choosing to stare at a fixed point over Chan's shoulder, fighting the urge to itch his neck at the blatant lie.

Chan offered to walk Woojin home but Woojin kindly declined, claiming that a walk alone would clear his mind a little.

"Come on, it'll look real cute, me and you together, I bet people would love that," Chan attempted to convince Woojin but the mention of the press made Woojin feel nauseous and he declined again, more firmly this time, making Chan furrow his brows in slight annoyance.

Pictures of the two out shopping surfaced on the front cover of magazines for a while, the shot of Chan running his hands up and down Woojin's form plastered in almost every single place Woojin looked.

It wasn't long before Woojin received his first paycheck from Chan's superiors, the cheque containing a sum of money Woojin thought he'd never see in his entire lifetime. Paying bills and rent became a breeze and Woojin had finally managed to buy himself a proper meal that wasn't primarily subjected to being made via boiling water.

So of course, the money played an important part in their 'relationship,' it was, after all, the only reason that Woojin decided to do it all in the first place.

Woojin tried to convince himself that it was the money, not the way that Chan's gaze felt electric on his skin and set his nerves alight, not the way Chan treated Woojin so gently, not the way Chan had made up for all the lost affection in Woojin's life.

Unwanted feelings of insecurity began to fester their way into Woojin's mind however, as he realised that it was all for show, their conversation at the mall replaying in his head nonstop. Chan had only held Woojin because he saw the cameras around them, not because he cared about him, he cared about publicity and Woojin would just have to find a way to be okay with that.

Another message from the same number informed him of a 'date' the two were scheduled to go on, to an amusement park just by the beach, a time of 5pm mentioned but not stressed, whoever this person was had seemingly given up on Woojin's capability of being punctual which both offended and relieved him.

Woojin had spent a good half an hour throwing clothes around his room before catching sight of himself in the mirror and sighing.

There was no point really, it didn't matter what Woojin wore because Chan couldn't care any less, he'd still hug Woojin and treat him just the same because Woojin's image wasn't nearly as important as the chivalrous one that Chan had recently acquired.

So when he arrived at the gates in a stained t-shirt and shorts, his burn out in all its glory, he wasn't really prepared for the look of barely concealed concern that Chan addressed him with.

"Jinnie, are you okay? You look tired, we can go home if you want," Chan offered, his eyes searching Woojin's face for any sign of discomfort or non-verbal cues that would suggest his unwillingness to be there.

"I'm fine, just tired I guess.. can we sit for a second?" Woojin mumbled, his voice barely audible over the background chatter of people walking around the place, but Chan heard it loud and clear.

Chan grasped Woojin's limp hand and led them to a bench overlooking the sea, Woojin's gaze instantly transfixed on the methodical crashing of waves in and out of the shore, Chan's focused on the man right next to him.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the amusement park, it was clear to see the way Woojin's entire body relaxed as he let himself just be.

Chan's hand moved to interlace his fingers between Woojin's and traced soothing circles with his thumb on the outside of Woojin's hand, his hand slightly squeezing Woojin's in a sign of comfort.

Woojin's eyes met Chan's and they instantly softened upon the realisation that Chan had been looking at him the entire time, he leaned his head on top of Chan's shoulder and let his eyes fall shut for a second, before feeling the weight of Chan's head rest atop his own as he pulled their bodies closer together.

The two sat there like that until Woojin had grown tired of not moving and got up, roping Chan up with him.

They made their way into the park, hands still intertwined and smiles still on their faces.

Coming across a shotgun stall, Woojin instantly led them straight towards it, his eyes fixed on the display. A ridiculously large plushie lay at the top of a pile of others and a few cans were in front of two shotguns.

"Channie please can we try?" Woojin whined, bouncing up and down slightly and shaking Chan's arm in a plea.

"Of course Jinnie, you want that top one yeah?" Chan pointed to the largest plushie and turned to Woojin, seeing a bright smile on his face, making Chan's stomach flip and his hands sweat a little.

After a few rounds, Chan had won his arduous battle with the shotgun and smugly handed over the plushie to Woojin.

Woojin was looking at Chan with such unadulterated happiness, his mouth open in an 'o' shape, his eyes wide and twinkling and his hands made small grabbing motions at the plushie, desperate to hug it.

Chan watched the sight of Woojin cuddling the stuffed animal and wrapped his arms around Woojin's waist, effectively pressing Woojin's back onto his front and hooked his chin on top of Woojin's head.

"A bear for my bear, fitting huh?" Chan murmured into Woojin's hair, turning his head and resting his cheek on top of the locks after, Woojin replying with an embarrassed but half-hearted "Shut up you sap."

Upon seeing Woojin's gaze linger on the cotton candy stall, Chan had instantly bought him a stick, just to see the way Woojin's entire face lit up as he began to ramble on about how he hadn't had once since he was a child. Chan chuckled along, seeing that same childlike glee present in Woojin's mannerisms today, making him smile knowing that he had been the cause of such joy.

Once it began to get late, Woojin and Chan walked along the pier, Chan's shoulder brushing against Woojin's with every step they took. When they reached the end, Woojin turned to Chan and simply enveloped him in a hug, the sight making Chan's heart soar as Woojin pressed his face into Chan's neck, his eyes shut and a closed smile on his face.

"Thanks for today, sorry we couldn't get any nice pictures, I really wanted that bear," Woojin spoke, keeping his eyes closed and body pressed up against Chan's.

"I'm glad you had fun Jinnie, take care of it okay?" Chan softly uttered, not wanting to break this moment between them.

Chan started to sway their bodies back and forth until the sun had long since set and the heat from the day dissipated, the sharp air of the night making its way through the atmosphere, sending a shiver through Woojin's body, not going unnoticed by Chan.

Chan moved their bodies apart, only to take his jacket off and wrap it around Woojin's now drowsy form, a grateful smile adorning Woojin's features as he formed sweater paws with the long sleeves of Chan's blazer.

Woojin had fallen asleep as soon as they had entered the taxi, his arms wrapped around himself, the blazer now completely covering his sleeping form.

Taking Woojin home had proven to be easier than Chan would've thought. He picked Woojin up bridal style almost too easily, he would have to remind himself to take Woojin out to eat more, and when his roommate had answered the door, he seemed more than happy at inviting Chan in, his response being "Yeah hot romance guy, come up."

When Woojin checked the mail the next day, his heart slightly fell as he remembered the fact that their date would most likely be everywhere by now, his smile fell a little as he once again realised that Chan's actions towards him were all for show.

But it didn't matter, he told himself, for he had fun and that was what counted. Not the lingering touches and longing gazes, just the fun.

However, there was no mail.

Woojin checked the kitchen table, no magazines, he had checked Chan's social media tags and yet again, no pictures whatsoever of the two had surfaced.

The paparazzi had to have really dropped the ball that time Woojin thought to himself as he went about his day, paying no mind to the fact that in the most public place the two had gone, not a single camera had followed.

* * *

Chan had merely wanted to test something out. Buying off the paparazzi for the day had put a small dent in his bank account, given that he and Woojin were the most popular fixation of the public eye at the moment, but Chan had just wanted to see something.

Over the past few weeks, Chan had been convinced that his 'feelings' towards Woojin were simply because of the vast amounts of fame it gained him. Holding his hand and pressing up against him had to have been spurred on by the cameras watching the two, the realisation of the popularity he'd receive afterwards making his heart race and filling him up with endless amounts of adrenaline.

But that day, there had been no rush, no cameras pointed at the two yet every single time Woojin would direct even the smallest glance at Chan, his stomach would hurt and his heartfelt light, the urge to hold him growing on its own.

After seeing Woojin in his clothes however, thoughts of a future with him blooming in his mind, he knew he was in too deep. 

He couldn't let something like that happen again so the next week, when Woojin and him were going to watch a new horror film, he had made sure to announce it publically, garnering all the attention he could get, just so he had an excuse to touch Woojin and to try and convince himself that it was only for show.

Woojin was bombarded by the press the moment he stepped foot outside of his apartment. It seemed as though the press had found his address, and the thought of people constantly perched outside his home made his heart rate pick up and made him feel terribly unsafe.

Getting to the cinema proved to be an achingly difficult task for Woojin. The press were unwavering, the endless flashes of camera shutters made his eyes hurt, the booming shouts of questions to do with his 'relationship' with Chan only adding to the pain he felt.

The crowd of people swarmed Woojin, and the overwhelming sensations had Woojin crying as soon as he entered the cinema.

Hot tears were trailing down his face, his face contorted in clear sadness and one hand was holding his other arm in a poor attempt at blocking himself from the crowd and providing some form of comfort for himself.

Chan's face dropped as he looked at Woojin's hunched and trembling figure, making his way over, unable to hide the pure pain he felt at seeing Woojin look so scared.

Whatever was left of Woojin's resolve instantly crumbled at the familiar feeling of Chan's arms as he clutched his shoulder desperately, his hands scrunching up the fabric of Chan's blazer.

Chan rubbed up and down Woojin's back, in a way to soothe him and guided his quivering body through the main entrance of the cinema into the hallway of cinema screens. Woojin's body was turned towards Chan's chest and he tried to conceal his face into the crook of Chan's neck, his hands splayed out on Chan's chest, gripping the T-shirt he was wearing underneath.

When the two had entered the screening room, it was surprisingly empty and the two made their way to the back of the room.

Chan coaxed Woojin's face from his neck and tilted his face towards him, his heart sinking at the sheer amount of tears that were cascading down Woojin's face.

"Jinnie, baby what happened?" Chan asked in a hushed tone, not wanting to startle Woojin too much.

"There were so many Channie, a-and they kept getting so close, and I was all alone, and they followed me," Woojin got out in a small voice, fear tinging his speech.

"It's over now baby.. I'm here, I won't let them touch you I swear," Chan swore, both hands on either side of Woojin's face as he looked him in the eyes.

Woojin was understandably drained by the time the movie had begun, which only served to make him even more frightened whenever a jump scare came up. He nestled his way into Chan's side and rested his face on Chan's broad chest, feeling his ever-steady heartbeat.

Chan wrapped his arm around Woojin's curled form and held onto his back, tracing small shapes along the part of exposed skin between Woojin's shirt and his trousers.

Woojin had surprisingly fallen asleep halfway through the movie, Chan looking down at his peaceful face and trying to suppress the relieved smile that was already painting his features.

The walk home was terrifying for Woojin but with Chan shielding his body from the onslaught of cameras, he no longer felt tears prick his eyes. Woojin had offered Chan to come up and stay for dinner, seeking the chance to show him his newfound cooking skills.

"Please Channie, I make really nice tteokbokki and yakgwa" Woojin pleaded, already pulling Chan's body into the building.

"Okay but only if you let me help," Chan retorted, laughing at Woojin's playful frown.

Letting Chan help in the kitchen had to have been the worst thing Woojin had ever done. As Woojin was preparing the ingredients, he felt a tap on his shoulder, making him turn around, only to have flour swiped right across his nose.

Woojin coughed in surprise, Chan's gleeful laugh echoing in the kitchen as he began to assault Woojin with the flour, wiping the dust all over his face and clothes.

"Channie stop I'm gonna sneeze," Woojin said, pouting at Chan as he tried to let out a sneeze, an endearing look on his face as his eyes scrunched and his mouth hung open.

After a worryingly long sneezing fit, Woojin's eyes were hazy and his nose became stuffy. Chan wet some kitchen towels and began wiping at Woojin's face, his hands stopping their scrubbing motions by Woojin's lips.

He let his finger trace the bottom portion of Woojin's lips, causing them to part open and for Woojin to let out a small sigh through them.

Before Chan knew it, he was leaning in towards them, Woojin mimicking his movements and their lips were touching.

Woojin's lips were soft and tasted of that cherry lip balm he carried around, intoxicating Chan and spurring him to deepen the kiss, his hands making their way into Woojin's hair, tugging a little as he felt Woojin's grasp on his shoulders tighten.

It was just like that, when Chan had broken the kiss, an awkward laugh leaving his lips as he caught sight of Woojin's slightly puffy and red ones.

"We s-should start um the cooking.. probably," Chan nervously mumbled as he turned around and made his way to set the table.

Once the food had been made, Woojin bizarrely missing Chan's once frequent intrusions in the kitchen, the two ate in somewhat uncomfortable silence.

Woojin ached to say something, anything to salvage the moment but was at a loss for words when he looked up at Chan and saw the only emotion he could name as regret lacing his features, his mouth downturned as he silently ate the food.

Chan excused himself from Woojin's apartment straight after the meal, not even hugging him as he claimed he had some sort of meeting after, Woojin seeing straight through the obvious lie.

As Woojin was lying in bed, he couldn't help but wonder what he had done wrong. Chan had been the one to initiate the kiss so surely it can't have been unsolicited and Chan seemed like he enjoyed it just as much as Woojin had, so what was the issue?

Woojin didn't worry for long however, as his faith in Chan's ability to cope with situations ensured him that whatever had happened wasn't something Chan had regretted.

Kissing Woojin was by far Chan's biggest regret.

Had he not been so entranced by Woojin's naturally pouty lips and his achingly sweet demeanour, he wouldn't have felt the need to kiss the pout off his face the moment it formed or to run his fingers through the unnaturally soft locks of hair.

But he couldn't just break things off with Woojin. His book was finally coming underway and was at a stage that he felt quite proud of, so the idea of losing all the publicity he had just recently gained was not something Chan was happy with.

So Chan carried on.

He held his breath whenever Woojin gazed at him for too long, with far too much fondness in his eyes and involuntarily always gazed back, every single time.

During their next sightseeing date, Chan had carried Woojin on his back up the stairs of the heaven stairway, simply due to his small complaint of aching feet. Woojin cuddled up to Chan whilst on his back, the smile on his face seeping through Chan's clothes and making his grip tighten slightly.

Once they had reached the top, it was Woojin this time who held Chan's hand, a camera shutter going off somewhere neither of them could place. Woojin gently grasped Chan's hands and took a deep breath before daring to look into those eyes, seeing them already transfixed on his.

"Channie.. can I call you mine?" Woojin asked in a timid voice, his hands slightly shaking and knees feeling weak.

"Jinnie, I am yours what do you mean?" Chan questioned, not entirely following Woojin's train of thought.

"No.. I mean like away from cameras, just us.. I - I want to call you mine all the time, not just for show." Woojin looked away from Chan and chose to stare at his shoes, an embarrassed flush travelling straight to his cheeks.

"Woojin, look at me," Chan stated, his playful tone nowhere to be heard as he tilted Woojin's face to look at him. Woojin's bashful smile dropped at the lack of nickname Chan had addressed him with.

"You know I can't do that right." Chan's gaze was unwavering, any emotion on his face was gone, his stare was calculated and his words were piercing and sharp.

Woojin's eyes began to involuntarily brim with tears as he took a step back from Chan, the loss of heat from his grip making Woojin tremble slightly. He looked around, seeing nobody and shakily settled himself on the floor, opting to put his head in his hands.

Vigorously shaking his head, Woojin began muttering 'why' over and over again, slightly worrying Chan.

Chan moved to sit by Woojin and pried his head from the alarmingly tight vice he had been holding it in, catching sight of Woojin's devastating state.

Those glassy, tear-filled eyes were all because of Chan. His painfully tousled hair was because of Chan and the heartbreaking expression that Chan was terrified would never leave Woojin's face, was all because of him.

Chan schooled the pain he felt looking at _his_ Jinnie in such a saddening state and wrapped his arms around Woojin's quivering body.

Woojin reluctantly melted into the embrace and sniffled as he asked: "Is it something I did?"

"No Woojin, it was never you," Chan solemnly replied, unable to elaborate on the fact that he too had fallen for Woojin, but was all too aware of the stakes and chose his popularity over his happiness, a choice that never seemed to end well.

Woojin separated himself from the overwhelmingly loving embrace and took a deep breath, facing away from Chan.

"I-I'm uh..I'm gonna go, please don't follow me," Woojin sniffled.

He stood up and brushed his trousers off, trying his best to walk past Chan's still figure without succumbing to the desire of collapsing next to the man and just holding those hands one last time.

The walk down from the monument had Woojin's heart sinking.

His feet were aching by the time he reached the bottom and he wiped at the stray tears that just wouldn't stop streaming down his face no matter how hard he reminded himself that this was what was meant to happen.

On the top of the monument, Chan's cold resolve had shattered, his body wracked with sobs at having to just dismiss Woojin like that.

Woojin had voiced the thoughts that Chan had been running from ever since he'd met him, and Chan just had to break his heart. The image of Woojin's face dropping into confusion and then pure despair was seared into Chan's memory, the guilt never leaving him.

As Woojin stumbled home with his tear-filled vision, he realised he'd forgotten his keys and would have to ring the buzzer for Minho to open the door.

"H-hey it's Woojin, can I come up?" Woojin tried his utmost to conceal the hurt in his voice, but the second Minho had opened the door, his facade had crumbled as he collapsed into Minho's arms and just let himself cry.

He let himself cry for being so unlovable, for being so unwanted, for having the only person who'd ever even cared for him turn his back on him.

Minho rubbed soothing circles on Woojin's shoulders and the sensation had Woojin sobbing even harder as he recalled every single gentle touch Chan had given him, the feeling being too familiar for him to handle.

After several minutes of pure crying, Woojin's tears were beginning to subside and Minho let his best friend lay his head on his lap, his hands combing soothingly through Woojin's hair.

"Woojin, talk. I haven't seen you this sad since then.. what happened that was so bad?"

So Woojin spent the next hour explaining the fake dating situation, his heart clenching as he retold the events of Chan caressing him, kissing him and just showering him with all the affection that Woojin was certain he wasn't deserving of.

"Things will get better I swear, they did last time and they will this time." Minho spoke resolutely, his heart feeling heavy all over again as he felt Woojin's body tense at the mention of a last time.

A last time in which Woojin had given it everything he had and more. A last time in which Woojin had opened up to this man, only to have his virginity stripped of him and to be left cold and alone the next morning.

A last time in which Kim Jungwoo had mangled Woojin's heart and soul and left him void of any emotions for years.

Woojin didn't sleep that night, his mind ravaged by the gut-wrenching feeling of heartbreak, a feeling he'd vowed to never let himself encounter again but here he was, knees tucked into his chest and silent tears running down his face.

The number informed Woojin of a concluding meeting that was scheduled in a week in light of recent events, magazines already filled with news about the devastating breakup.

The week that followed was most likely the worst week of Woojin's entire life. The paparazzi swarmed him endlessly as he tried his best to make his way to classes, no shield beside him this time, the questions and rumours being spread around campus about Woojin's relationship making him feel disgusting and wrong.

Woojin had decided to stay at home, at least that way no one would sneer in disgust at him every time he walked past and people wouldn't grab his clothes, aiming to get some sort of a reaction out of him, shoving their cameras in his face. 

When Chan had seen Woojin at the meeting, his eyes almost teared up at the state he was in.

Dark bags sunk into his face, his lips were chapped and bloody, his frame had gotten worryingly weaker and his eyes were empty and lacked the usual spark residing within them.

When Chan's manager thanked Woojin for his effort with the ordeal, proudly showcasing the anticipated sales, Woojin almost vomited with how sick it made him feel.

He felt so stupid and naive knowing that behind his undying love for Chan, was a whole boardroom of people who had orchestrated every single action Chan had taken towards Woojin.

As Woojin was trudging out of the building, he was stopped by a hand grasping his arm.

"Woojin wait, are you okay?" Chan rushed out, seeming out of breath, had he walked that far?

"Who cares Chan, you got what you wanted, enjoy the fame." Woojin snatched his arm from Chan's grasp and was unsurprised at Chan's choice to let him walk away, scoffing slightly as he kicked at loose pebbles.

But Chan just couldn't seem to do that.

Weeks later, at the premiere release of his novel, he couldn't help the rising feeling of guilt every time his 'past relationship' was brought up, his mind casting an image of Woojin's soft eyes and kind heart, instead choosing to silently nod and avoid those questions at all costs.

Woojin sat cross-legged on his sofa as his ears were once again assaulted with the screams of young girls as Chan entered the venue, a sick sense of deja vu passing his mind.

Chan's casual regard towards their 'relationship' made Woojin bite his lip in order to stop its trembling and made him switch the channels instantly.

It was obvious how little their ordeal had meant to Chan and Woojin was yet again, foolish for believing things would be different this time around.

The only real difference between Chan and Jungwoo was that Chan had taken his heart instead.

For some reason, the press remained an ongoing issue for Woojin, pictures of him leaving his home would still be published in magazines, in smaller sections but they were still there.

When Chan had caught sight of one of those magazines, his instinct to protect Woojin had surfaced.

The picture showed Woojin attempting to block his significantly small frame from the cameras, a glum look marring his features, with his eyes downcast. The article had speculated that Woojin had broken up with Chan and that his saddened state was just the aftermath of guilt and not something to be genuinely concerned about.

This rumour was then brought up when Chan had gone to a celebratory dinner for the upcoming release of his book.

He was joined with a few other novelists, his friends from back in college and it didn't take long for the topic of his 'relationship' to be mentioned in the conversation.

"So Chan, you went with that?" Changbin had simply asked, his facial features speaking much more, however, as his nose wrinkled in distaste and his eyebrows were raised in confusion.

"I don't follow, what do you mean?" Chan questioned, feeling quite confused. He looked around the table, only to find the same expressions of bewilderment on everyone else's features.

"I mean you could've gone for anyone but.. him? His facial structure is quite displeasing, not to mention his atrocious sense of style, and don't even get me started on his unsightly figure-"

"Who the fuck do you think you are? What is your problem?" Chan was seething, his chest rose and fell deeply and frequently as he tried to calm himself down and not make a scene.

His eyes never left Changbin's and an awkward cough from another person had broken the tension between the two.

"I think what Binnie was trying to elude to was the question of what made that man so special given that you could've dated whomever you wished," a deeper but calmer voice explained, his eyes forming crescents as he nervously smiled.

"Everything. From the moment I'd met him, I just knew he was the kind of person I needed. He never cared about my status.. funnily enough, he was willing to simply walk away from me after the first time we'd talked. But I got to know him better through.. through circumstances and I swear to you, no one had ever managed to captivate my entire heart the way he did, it got to a point where I'd do anything just to see him smile, just to hear his laughter ring in my ears-" Before Chan had even realised, he had gone off on a tangent about his relationship with Woojin and cut himself off in order to prevent further embarrassment.

He looked across the table and contrary to his expectations of seeing judgemental looks, he was met with softened gazes and smiles.

"Look Chan, it's no one's place to say but please for the love of god call him." The man beside Changbin spoke, his hand patting Chan's shoulder as him and Changbin, joined with the other guests got up to leave the restaurant, leaving Chan alone with this sudden realisation.

He loved Woojin.

He loved Woojin, he thought as he rushed out of the restaurant and into his apartment, stumbling to get to his laptop. He loved Woojin, he expressed as his fingers mercilessly typed away at the keyboard, paragraph after paragraph of raw emotion materialising onto the blank document. God, he loved Woojin, he concluded as he shut the top of the device and closed his eyes.

On the day of the release, Chan was more nervous than ever. He had sent off the piece of writing from yesterday night to be published and was anxiously waiting for the inevitable anger coming from his manager as what he had done had, after all, been quite foolish.

This anger, however, never came.

He'd instead received a delighted email from the editor, informing him that the book was one she'd never forget and inspired her to look for a person of her own.

The green light had been given and copies of the book had been released in bookstores all over Daejeon, a personal copy being delivered to Chan's doorstep.

His fingers traced the untouched cover of the book, titled 'For him,' and he flipped through the pages, recognising certain parts of the story from memory alone.

All that was left to do was to call Woojin. If Chan thought he was nervous about the release of the book, he was better off just forgetting about calling Woojin, if the way his hands shook were anything to go by.

The ringing of the line continued until someone picked up. However; this someone was not the person that Chan had been looking for.

"Is this Bang Chan?" Minho asked, curt and cold.

"Yeah, is Jinnie home, I wanted to-"

"No." Minho spat, anger evident in his voice.

The call had ended just as quickly as it had started, leaving Chan dumbfounded as he stared at the now brightly lit screen.

Chan sat, unsure as to what he should do.

Perhaps calling Woojin's phone when Minho wasn't around was a better option. So, the next morning, Chan called yet again, in the hopes that Woojin would pick up. The phone rang again, cut off by a slurred voice.

"Mm.. who's this," Woojin drawled out, his words lengthening, making Chan's heart jump in hope.

"Jinnie! I-it's me, uh I wanted to talk about the book and things.. if that's okay," Chan responded, his happiness momentarily taking over his speech at hearing Woojin's voice after what felt like so long.

"..Channie? This has gotta be a dream," Woojin mumbled, a bitter laugh escaping his throat as his breathing began to even out, indicating his fall into slumber once again.

"Jinnie, baby it's me.. can we talk?" Chan tried, failing as the only response was a light snore leaving Woojin's mouth.

Chan reluctantly cut the call and decided that it was most likely best to try and reach Woojin in person.

At least that way he wouldn't fall asleep on him, although, Chan didn't really put it past him to do such a thing.

As he approached the lecture hall, it took Chan a while to recognize Woojin.

His demeanour at the meeting was nothing compared to that of his demeanour now. His bags had somehow sunk deeper into his face and it seemed like Woojin's gaze hadn't lifted from the floor once as he slowly walked out of the building.

Woojin's chin was gently lifted as he was stopped by a figure, his eyes were a little bleary as he tried to distinguish the person's face, his lack of sleep evidently catching up on him.

"..Chan?" Woojin asked, subtly trying to quell the oncoming feeling of anxiety that began to rise at the sight of him.

"Hey, um d-do you mind, could we talk about-"

"Chan, please leave me alone," Woojin weakly responded, feeling so drained at the prospect of talking to a man who held no regards for his feelings.

"Jinnie, just hear me out please, just a few minutes," Chan trailed off, desperate to get Woojin to just _listen_ to him.

This was to no avail however, as Woojin brushed past Chan and walked in the opposite direction, Woojin's heart feeling heavy all over again at having to leave Chan behind for the second time.

Chan was left, stunned.

In a last-ditch attempt at reaching out to Woojin, he contacted Minho and it was agreed that Chan could meet up with Minho, inform him of his intentions, and a decision would be made.

The two sat at a park bench, Minho intentionally shifting further away from Chan and a suffocating silence engulfed the atmosphere.

"Well? Talk then," Minho stated, exasperated at Chan's infuriating silence.

"Look, I- I just want him to read the book, that's it, he doesn't have to see me or anything, just please let him read it, I need him to," Chan almost begged, his words rushed out as he faced Minho, desperation present in his features.

Minho mulled over Chan's almost pathetic tone and concluded that getting Woojin to read the book might not be the worst thing ever, after all, he doubted anything Chan could've written in it would magically heal Woojin's heart anyways.

"Fine, I'll tell him to read it, now leave I'm late for a meeting." Minho replied, anger in his tone but nonchalance on his face.

As Woojin lazily typed away at his computer, Minho sat across him and met his eyes with a hesitant look.

"Woojin, I talked to him, he wants you to read the book, that's all, no seeing him or nothing, okay?" Minho gently explained to Woojin.

Woojin nodded his head in understanding and the following day, when he was about to leave the flat, nothing other than Chan's book was in his mailbox.

He rushed back into the apartment, grateful that Minho had left for work, and peeled open the first page, noticing a rather lengthy forward.

_For the person whose pure beauty leaves me perpetually awestruck, for the person whose intoxicating nature draws me in no matter what, for the person whose soft eyes and even softer heart captivates me now and forevermore, for Kim Woojin, the undoubted love of my life. _

Woojin set the book down in pure shock.

He took a deep breath, counted to ten, and opened the book again, seeing the same writing present. He read the message over and over again, his finger tracing over the words _love of my life_.

Pushing down any feelings of hope as best he could, Woojin began to read the book.

_"You complete me." The sun was starting to set and the hues painted Juwon's face in shades of pink and violet, his eyes holding such unwavering love that it choked Sungho, enraptured him in such ethereal beauty. _

_"My whole life, I've been searching for something, anything to convince me that I wasn't alone and then you came, you showed me how happy I could be, showed me that even in sadness, joy can always be seen and I've never been so sure of a feeling in my entire life."- _

Woojin snapped the book shut, his heart stuttering in his chest as tears began to spill from his eyes, dampening the pages with small blots. He furiously tried to blink them away, all in vain, as they cascaded down his face.

When Minho returned from work, the last thing he'd expected was a teary-eyed Woojin smiling down at Chan's book, breathy laughs escaping his mouth.

"Woojin, what's in the book?" Minho asked, padding over to Woojin and reading over his shoulder.

"Minnie, he loves me," Woojin replied, a wobbly smile on his face as he pointed to the forward with shaky fingers.

"Woojin, are you even hearing yourself? Just yesterday you were bawling your eyes out over him and now it's okay?" Minho spat out, instantly regretting his words as he watched the smile on Woojin's face falter.

"I-I know, you're right it's just.. I just don't get it Minnie," Woojin trailed off, anxiety present in his tone as he turned to face Minho.

"Then tell him Woojin, you deserve to be happy for real this time, it would kill me to see you heartbroken again. " Minho spoke, squeezing Woojin's shoulder in comfort and walking away into the kitchen.

Woojin picked up his phone with trembling hands and pressed the contact.

A pause followed in which Woojin's fears had begun to escalate and as the voice on the other end let out a quiet "Jinnie?," Woojin couldn't help but feel slightly winded.

"Can we meet somewhere? I.. um, I read the book.. it's really good," Woojin rushed out, trailing off towards the end feeling rather stupid.

Of course, it was a good book, Chan was a bestselling author, after all, his weak praise was probably nothing compared to-

"Y-you really think so? Thanks, Jinnie, that means a lot," Chan replied, elation present in the inclination of his voice.

"Where did you wanna meet?" Chan asked, still shocked at the fact that Woojin knew.

He'd read the book and knew about Chan's feelings and somehow didn't hate him, maybe.

"How about that cafe where we first went?" Woojin mumbled, apprehensive as to whether or not Chan would say yes.

"Sure thing Jinnie, I'll see you there," Chan replied, feeling ecstatic that he would finally be meeting with Woojin on agreed terms.

Woojin left his flat nervous for some reason.

He couldn't quite understand why his legs were trembling and why his breath was coming out in short puffs as his heart rate began to increase.

Maybe it was to do with the fact that the message in the book might have simply been a ploy for more attention from tabloids or maybe it was to do with the fact that Woojin simply didn't feel like enough for Chan, enough to make him happy.

Seeing Chan sat at one of the booths however, a cup of tea in his hand with his gaze directed out of the window, Woojin couldn't help but relax.

Chan's presence seemed to just have that kind of an effect on him.

"Hey Jinnie, come sit," Chan offered, a polite smile on his face as he gestured to the seat across him with an assortment of pastries laid out in front of it.

"Oh um.. I didn't know what you liked so I got them all," Chan sheepishly said, a flush coating his cheeks as he looked at Woojin.

Woojin took a seat and looked into Chan's eyes for what felt like the first time in forever.

They were exactly the same however, small golden flecks still lightly dusted his iris and his eyes still held a certain kindness to them, making Woojin's soften.

"Y'know, they were all fake," Chan started, fidgeting with his fingers as he opted to stare at a spot on the table, away from Woojin's gaze.

"Every single story I'd ever written," Chan said, looking up into Woojin's eyes and seeing nothing but confusion evident in his features.

"They were always about the lives of other people, people that I'd seen fall in love, god Jinnie d'you know how much it hurt to see every single person around me find their other half, whilst I just sat there and wrote about it, wishing it was me?"

Woojin's face dropped and he reached over to grasp Chan's hand from across the table, lightly brushing his thumb over Chan's knuckles, encouraging him to continue.

"B-but then I met you. I met you and you just.. you just changed everything, no one had ever looked at me the way you did and being with you always felt so right, like when I was by your side, there wasn't a thing I couldn't do."

Chan's eyes began watering and he caught Woojin's gaze only to find the same thing happening to him.

"You really do complete me y'know, I tried so hard to pretend my feelings for you were because of how much fame it gave me but that day on the beach made me realise that even in a thousand different universes, I'd still fall for you, every time."

Woojin let out a choked sob and the tears in his eyes began to overflow and rush down his rosy cheeks. Chan was quick to thumb away any oncoming tears and held Woojin's cheek in his hand.

"Channie I.. I don't know what to say, you mean so much to me and things haven't been easy f-for me but when I'm with you, it always feels okay, like.. like you're meant to be here with me." Woojin sniffled, his voice slightly muffled by his blocked nose.

They met each other's gazes and gently laughed, Chan's hand stroking the side of Woojin's face fondly.

The 'rekindling' of their relationship had sparked an abundance of rumours from press and magazines, speculating that the two were clearly an 'unstable couple with little hopes of a long-lasting relationship' but as the two made their way back to Woojin's apartment, Chan kissing Woojin on the forehead and holding him so tenderly, Woojin knew that this time, this time it was for real.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
Leave a kudos if you liked it <3


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